Crozet's finest: Beloved pies arrive on the Corner

Crozet Pizza co-owner Mike Alexander's bringing his family's famous pies to the Corner.

Meri Jane Smith

Most Charlottesvillians have made the beautiful drive out to Crozet Pizza in Crozet to eat what National Geographic’s travel guide once dubbed “the best pizza in the world." Now, Crozet Pizza has made it even easier to sink your teeth into their delicious pies by opening up shop on the Corner in the former Buddhist Biker Bar & Grill spot on Elliewood Avenue; officially they call it Crozet Pizza at the Buddhist Biker Bar.

Dish stopped by to check it out and have a chat with Mike Alexander, general managing partner of the operation and husband of Colleen Crum, whose parents, Bob and Karen Crum, established the original Crozet Pizza back in 1977. The Corner location, in a nod to the original spot, has a rustic, casual feel to it with wooden booths and tables large enough to hold multiple pans of pizza. In place of the large map that adorns the Crozet location–– marking the places various diners have visited while wearing their Crozet Pizza t-shirts–– and the nearly floor-to-ceiling bulletin board of business cards, are freshly painted walls and a collection of framed, band posters. Alexander says the posters are a nod to his own love for live music, as well as a way to remind folks of the Buddhist Biker Bar’s history of hosting live music acts, a tradition he hopes to continue.

A new addition to the menu to look for in the coming months during weekend brunch hours is the “breakfast pizza,” which was created by the staff, for the staff, as an solution to starting work during breakfast hours. Alexander says breakfast pizza is like an omlette–– eggs, bacon, cheddar, peppers, onions–– but on a pizza. Alexander also reminds that they are doing specialty pizzas in special ways that no one else is, like one with pork belly and pineapple. Yum.

A reporter notes that, according to Alexander, the original Crozet Pizza was started by an “original hippie [his father-in-law, Mr. Crum]” and looking around at all the band posters on the walls, the multiple indoor/outdoor seating locations, and the two bars crowned with large flat-screen TVs and offering plenty of beers on tap, it is clear that Crozet Pizza at the Buddhist Biker Bar & Grill will serve the needs of “original hippies,” new hipsters, UVA students, and sports fans alike–– all coming together to eat “the best pizza in the world.”